History Series / PlayThePercentages

** Version 1: Involved choosing a target number and then another series of general-knowledge questions with [[RuleOfThree three answers]]. One was not given by anyone in the survey, one was the most popular, and one just got some points. Each point was worth $10, choosing the 0% answer ended the round, and getting to 100 won $2500. If any answer was worth the target number, the couple won a progressive jackpot. When the jackpot moved to the main game, the endgame added a further step; if the answer that had ''some'' points but wasn't the top answer was chosen, the couple had to pick the top answer to continue.
** Version 2: Six survey answers, five of which totaled up to 100%. Picking the five answers that made this total (again at $10/point) won $2500 (later changed to the standard $1000 and a prize package).

* DeadpanSnarker / TheGhost: Judge Von Erik. His face was finally shown on the finale, and was revealed to have a BadassBeard.

* ShowTheFolksAtHome: The answer was displayed at the bottom of the screen during the first format.

The original format pitted two married couples against each other. They were asked a general-knowledge question which had been asked of 300 people, and each team offered a guess as to how many people they think got it right. Whoever was closer got points equivalent to however many indeed got it right, and could challenge for the remainder (e.g., if 40% of the people in the survey got it right, the next question would offer 60 points) if they answered the question correctly themselves. Alternatively, they could force the opposition to give an answer. Play continued until one team reached 300 points. If anyone guessed a percentage on the nose, [[InstantWinCondition they won the game right then and there]].

The bonus round involved choosing a target number and then another series of general-knowledge questions with [[RuleOfThree three answers]]. One was not given by anyone in the survey, one was the most popular, and one just got some points. Choosing the 0% answer ended the round, and getting to 100 won $2,500 cash. If any answer was worth the target number, the couple won a progressive jackpot. One other change in this round involved a further step; if the answer that had ''some'' points but wasn't the top answer was chosen, the couple had to pick the top answer to continue.

The bonus round was also overhauled to include six survey answers, five of which totaled up to 100%. Picking the five answers that made this total won $1,000 cash and a $2,500 prize package. As usual, five maingame wins awarded a new car.

* BonusRound: Described above.

** TheAnnouncer: Jay Stewart, best known for ''SeriesLetsMakeADeal''. He was replaced by Bob Hilton.

!!GameShow Tropes present:

** TheAnnouncer: Jay Stewart, best known for ''LetsMakeADeal''. He was replaced by Bob Hilton.
** GameShowHost: Geoff Edwards, best known for ''[[TreasureHuntUS Treasure Hunt]]''.

Partway through the show's run, the maingame was completely overhauled and basically became a clone of ''TwentyOne''. Here, two solo contestants were pitted against each other and asked questions in three different categories, one of which was always "Pot Luck". Question values ranged from 10 to 90 (that being the percentage of the survey that got the answer ''wrong''), with a goal of 250. Initially, only Pot Luck questions were jump-ins, but this was later changed so that ''all three'' categories were jump-ins.

Short-lived GameShow created by JackBarry/Dan Enright and hosted by Geoff Edwards which ran from January 7 to September 12, 1980.

The original format pitted two married couples against each other. They were asked a general-knowledge question which had been asked of 300 people, and each team offered a guess as to how many people they think got it right. Whoever was closer got points equivalent to however many indeed got it right, and could challenge for the remainder (e.g., if 40% of the people in the survey got it right, the next question would offer 60 points) if they answered the question correctly themselves. Alternatively, they could force the opposition to give an answer. Play continued until one team reached 300 points.

* GoldenSnitch: Guessing an exact percentage was an automatic win during the first week. Later on, the jackpot was moved from the BonusRound to the main game, where anyone who guessed an exact percentage won it and the game.

* {{Synthesizeritis}}: The music for ''Percentages'' (and most of Barry-Enright's other games) was composed by synthesist Hal Hidey.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The series reran on USANetwork from 1988-89, then very sporadically showed up on {{GSN}} in its early days.

* ThrowItIn: Inverted; the jackpot move after the first week was due to a bonus round scoreboard breaking down after the taping. Nobody was willing to fix it.

Partway through the show's run, the maingame was completely overhauled and basically became a clone of ''TwentyOne''. Here, two solo contestants were pitted against each other and asked questions in three different categories, one of which was always "Pot Luck". Question values ranged from 10 to 90 (that being the percentage of the survey that got the answer ''wrong''), with a goal of 250. Initially, only the "Pot Luck" questions were jump-ins, but this was later changed so that all three categories were jump-ins.

The bonus round was also overhauled to include six survey answers, five of which totaled up to 100%. Picking the five answers that made this total won $1,000 cash and a $2,500 prize package. As usual, five maingame wins meant winning a new car.

** TheAnnouncer: Jay Stewart, best known for ''[=~Let's Make a Deal~=]''. He was replaced by Bob Hilton.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Geoff said "until we meet again" at the end of the finale.
* FunnyMoments: Several, some of which are in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IjmC1o9GE these]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_aCJrBCMss four]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7HtrHIA-Rk YouTube]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ll2jJfFHU8 videos.]]
** When reading a question, Geoff quipped "The male of this species is a jackass...my wife thinks the male of ''every'' species is a jackass."
** During one question ("China is the most populated country of the world. What percentage knew the second-most populated country?") after the percentage was revealed, Geoff accidentally read the correct answer of India and was forced to use a replacement question.
--->'''Geoff''': We'll come back after Jack Barry comes in here and beats me up.
--->(''after the commercial'')
--->'''Geoff''': With any luck, I'll be back here tomorrow. Goodbye.
** After asking a question involving an absurdly-long Italian name, he added "If you ask me to repeat this, I'm gonna punch you right in the nose!"
** After a contestant said he was a fan of the Judge:
--->'''Geoff''': Judge Von Erik, would you say hello to Dick?
--->(''microphone feedback'')
--->'''Geoff''': Thank you very much.
** After a contestant named Jeff appeared, Geoff asked Judge Von Erik how he would know whether the judge was referring to Jeff or Geoff. Von Erik's solution was to pronounce the host's name "Je-off".
** A contestant with 210 points asked for a 70-point question, then promptly corrected herself to say 40. Geoff started to read a 40-point question, but Judge Von Erik butted in and said that they had to take her first answer.
--->'''Geoff''': You're not looking into her eyes, man. I have to do that to that lady with those eyes?
--->'''Von Erik''': I'm looking into Dan [Enright]'s eyes.
** A funny ad-lib from Bob Hilton:
--->'''Contestant''': Bob Hilton, if I win one more game, what do I get?
--->'''Bob''' (''off-mic''): Anything you want.
** While Geoff was explaining the rules to a game, Dan Enright kept passing the cue cards to everyone in the studio, causing Geoff to lose it and start laughing.
** After asking a question about ''[[{{Ptitlenjisnv3p}} Les Misérables]]'', Geoff complained that Judge Von Erik never compliments him, and asked the judge to compliment him on his pronunciation of Jean Valjean. The judge then dryly said "Geoff, I never miss one of your shows, and you have never been better."
** On the finale, while thanking the staff:
--->'''Geoff''': I wanna thank our sound man...(''sound cuts out'')...job.
* HeartwarmingMoments:
** One contestant gave about a 30-second speech praising all the work that goes into a television game show, to the applause of the audience. It appears at 1:15 in the fourth video above.
** On another episode, Geoff asked the contestants and StudioAudience to sing "Happy Birthday" to his 74-year-old mother.

* MomentOfAwesome:
** One couple won a $36,000 jackpot for knowing that 24% of the people surveyed knew the [[spoiler:motto for the Girl Scouts]].
** During a Pot Luck question in the solo-players format:
-->'''Geoff''': It was a short-lived series, but it got great critical acclaim—
-->'''Von Erik''': Geoff?
-->'''Geoff''': Yes?
-->'''Von Erik''': Peter has an opportunity to answer that question.
-->'''Geoff''': It's Pot Luck, Judge Von Erik. Neither of them buzzed in.
-->'''Von Erik''': My apologies.
-->'''Geoff''': Judge Von Erik, ladies and gentlemen, has made a ''mistake''!
-->(''applause'')

* {{Pilot}}: Some information on it can be found [[http://www.gameshowutopia.net/geoff/percentages/playthepercentages.htm here.]]

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The switch from married couples to solo players.

A short-lived GameShow created by JackBarry/Dan Enright and hosted by Geoff Edwards which ran from January 7 to September 12, 1980.

** During one question, "China is the most populated country of the world. What percentage knew the 2nd most populated country?" after the percentage was revealed, Geoff accidentally reads the correct answer "India." and he has to use a replacement question.

--->''[After the commercial]''
--->'''Geoff''': With any luck, I'll be back here tommorrow. Goodbye.

** This exchange, after a contestant said he was a fan of the judge:
--->'''Geoff''': "Judge Von Erik, would you say hello to Dick?"

--->'''Geoff''': "Thank you very much."

** One contestant with 210 points asked for a 70-point question and promptly corrected herself to say 40. Geoff started to read a 40-point question, but Judge Von Erik butted in and said that they had to take her first answer, leading to this exchange:
--->'''Geoff''': "You're not looking into her eyes, man. I have to do that to that lady with those eyes?"
--->'''Von Erik''': "I'm looking into Dan [Enright]'s eyes."

--->'''Contestant''': "Bob Hilton, if I win one more game, what do I get?"
--->'''Bob''' (''off-mic''): "Anything you want."
** While Geoff was explaining the rules to a game, Dan Enright kept passing the cue cards to everyone in the studio causing Geoff to lose it and start laughing.

--->'''Geoff''': "I wanna thank our sound man...(''sound cuts out'')...job."

* IncrediblyLamePun: One question had the answer of "metronome", to which Geoff said he always thought a metronome was a "short little guy with a beard that lived under the subway in Paris."

-->'''Geoff''': "It was a short-lived series, but it got great critical acclaim—"
-->'''Von Erik''': "Geoff?"
-->'''Geoff''': "Yes?"
-->'''Von Erik''': "Peter has an opportunity to answer that question."
-->'''Geoff''': "It's Pot Luck, Judge Von Erik. Neither of them buzzed in."
-->'''Von Erik''': "My apologies."
-->'''Geoff''': "Judge Von Erik, ladies and gentlemen, has made a ''mistake''!"

* ThrowItIn: Inverted; the jackpot move after the first week was due to a bonus round scoreboard breaking down after the taping.